Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-04-03

The fine steamship Mexico Runs Oh
q Reef on she Ceast sf Vaa-
eouVer Island and Be
comes a fetal Less.
At an early hour last Tuesday morn
ing the steamship Mexico, Capt. Hunt
ineton, arrived here frem San Francisco
with freight and passengers. After dis.
chaEgiae, she proceeded TO Tacoma, for
which port she had some freight, and
frou there went direct ts Nanaimo,
B. c., to take en- cargo Of coal. intend
ing to return TO Seattle in time TO take
freight and passengers and sail for San
Francisco at o'clock Friday afternoon.
She did not return. and the wires being
down, no tidinRs could be learned Of
her antil Saturday evening at 5 o'clock,
when a special dispatch TO the PosT-IH
announced that the
MEXICO WAS WRECKED.
Bulletins we're displayed, and the news
spread like wild FIRE throughout the
city. Some farty or fifty passengers
had secured their tickets for San Fran
cisce and had been waiting since Fri
day for her. No particulars we're re-
eeived until the arrival of the steamer
from Victoria at $50. Captain II. ).
Tib4als, American pilot for the Pacific
Coast Steamship Company, who had
turned the ship over to Captain Dan
Morrison, the English pilot. when she
left Port Townsend for Nanaimo, was
He said: II was not on
the ship, but l understand she went on
Belt Chain Reef, some miles south Of
Nanaimo, near the point where the Alki
struck. The ship is probably total
loss. The weather was thick when she
went on. Her bow is on the rock and
her stern down. Captain Huntington,
the pilot and mate stay by the ship and
hope TO save her"
STATEMENT OF CHARLES BAKER.
Charles Baker, q lonRshoreman on
the ill-fated Mexico, stated as follows:
There we're % loBpsboremen from
Seattle on board. aud counting the Off
GERS and crew, We had 102 persons, all
told. We left Nanaimo about o'clock
IN the evening, csal laden for Seattle.
had only turned in about Is mi0utes,
when the ship struck. at first thought
1t was a celli ion, but on going on deck
found the bow well up on the rock. |
saw the tug Alexander towing the ship
Cairdin to sea, and judging from her
course, eur ship must nave bees at least
five miles out of her course. The
weather was very thick and stormy. We
went on the rocks about a quarter to one
o'clock Thursday morning. Tue con
eussion threw me out of nv bunk. /
think We we're going about l2 knots al
hour. The place We struck was nearly
opdosite ROberts's Point. We fred
canon, signaling for assistance, and we
we're taken.by the Princess Louise to
Victoria, that is the all the lonRshore-
men and part Of the crew. we're taken
frsm the ship. Yesterday the captain
vas in charge, think, np 10 II or half
past, and We bad passed through
Pass. There were no boats
lowered until 8 o'clock Friday mornInR.
The pilot 10 considered a very good one.
This 1 know, for l have been mp that
way q great many times"
The Mexico was built at San Fran
cisco, and ran for time IN the southern
trade, for which she vas built, when she
was chartered at $500 per day BY the
Pacific Coast Steamship Company. and
has run in that trade between San Fran
cisco and Sound ports ever since. She
probably was insured for pretty aear
her vslne. She vas weFth about $50
600. Captain Huntington has been in
her ever since she was built. The com
pany's agents here have telegraDhed 10
GoodAll, Perkins & Co., Of San Francis
90, agents at that plscs, for instructions.